True Stories Sharing the Art and Science of Fascinating Insects

Gemmed Satyr . . . Good

Phil, Rose and Jerry worked so hard to introduce me to the Satyrs of the Georgia Piedmont. They hustled here and there. Their eagle eyes searched for these rich chocolate butterflies, with their jeweled ‘eyes’ on their wings. Oh, how Happy! was I too have such warm, generous sharing new friends. And tireless? They must have resorted to increments of stored energy! We mucked, hiked and climbed over falling timber, always searching, working the bush so that . . . Jeff can see and photograph. There was no way for me to know how to thank them, ‘though they seemed to reap their own pleasure those mornings.

Here in Hard Labor Creek State Park, Phil’s osprey-level vision roused up this Gemmed Satyr. It flew low and about, and might have been a response to my whispered plea, as it alighted on this leaf. Cyllopsis gemma is a very rare, elusive resident of the southeastern United States.

It’s a Gemmed satyr and is probably a male. It’s a good image, taken at a long-awaited meeting. This is a reminder of an earlier time, when I had the privilege to attend pre-sale exhibitions of Magnificent Jewelry at ‘ and at Sotheby’s New York galleries. So I saw the finest gems, very up close and personal. This butterfly evokes those memories. They are sweet. They will always be, and that is Good.